Merck & Co – known as MSD outside the US and Canada – is set to receive $170m upfront from Daiichi Sankyo to jointly develop and commercialise its investigational T-cell engager, MK-6070.
The deal builds on the companies’ existing global co-development and co-commercialisation agreement for three of Daiichi Sankyo’s DXd antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) candidates.
Merck’s MK-6070 targets DLL3, which is expressed at high levels in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and neuroendocrine tumours, and is currently being evaluated in a phase 1/2 clinical trial.
The partners are now planning to evaluate the candidate in combination with ifinatamab deruxtecan, a DXd ADC included in the original collaboration agreement, in certain SCLC patients.
More than 234,000 people are expected to be diagnosed with lung cancer in the US this year, with SCLC accounting for about 15% of all cases.
SCLC progresses quickly and approximately 70% of patients are diagnosed with extensive-stage disease, meaning their cancer has spread throughout the lung, to the other lung, or to other parts of the body.
Dr Dean Li, president, Merck Research Laboratories, said: “SCLC is an aggressive, fast-growing form of lung cancer and new treatment approaches are urgently needed.
“We are pleased to build upon our collaboration with Daiichi Sankyo and look forward to evaluating the novel combination of MK-6070 and ifinatamab deruxtecan in SCLC and other forms of cancer.”
The partners will jointly develop and commercialise MK-6070 globally, except in Japan, where Merck will maintain exclusive rights. Merck will also be solely responsible for manufacturing and supplying MK-6070.
Ken Takeshita, global head, research and development, Daiichi Sankyo, said: “Expanding our oncology pipeline with a DLL3 T-cell engager further supports [our] strategy to create new standards of care for patients with cancer worldwide.”
Merck obtained MK-607, formerly known as HPN328, through its $680m acquisition of immuno-oncology company Harpoon Therapeutics in March this year.
Julie Eastland, Harpoon’s president and chief executive officer, said at the time of the original buyout announcement in January: “With Merck’s recognised leadership in oncology clinical development and global commercial footprint, our lead candidate, HPN328, is well positioned moving forward.”